If you have a Jamis Aurora, please check in here.

[uforgot]

Sandra: you and I fit the same according to the "fit" kit, and when I had my 50cm Jamis Quest, it fit like a dream. You can always make minor adjustments with the stem, but I honestly think, (based on my Jamis experience) that the 48cm would be too small for you. But then again, I think that the Quest has a more aggressive "racing" geometry than the Aurora, so I think that makes it even better.

[sandra]

I am going to take a breath now. I think for sure she is a keeper. We have been doing some of the Andy Pruitt tests, and I think it's a fit.

So, I slapped on the brown Brooks. I also have a black if it would look better. I'd just have to do some trading around. Brown Brooks leather bar tape would be nice too.

[sandra]

But WHY is my bar straight when Elk's was slanted. I don't get that at all!!!

[KnottedYet]

But WHY is my bar straight when Elk's was slanted. I don't get that at all!!!

The brown Brooks looks beeeeoooootiful with the lovely copper paint! And brown leather tape would be, of course, a mighty fine addition!

Georgena Terry has a nice set of videos about bike frame design, I think she talks about slanting top tubes vs smaller front wheels to allow short tt/short standover. http://www.terrybicycles.com/movies.html

Or maybe it was Sheldon Brown...

Basically, a slanted top tube allows you to bring the front wheel closer to the back wheel (so a shorter effective top tube length) without giving the rider a serious wedgie problem. (cuz the tt has to be higher than the front wheel, and with a 700c front wheel, well, you have a limit on how low you can go with the tube attachments in the front. But at the seat tube, you gotta clear the rider's crotch. So: clear the wheel at the front of the tt, clear the crotch at the rear of the tt, slanted top tube lets you clear both on some smaller sizes)

[sandra]

but, but, but. We have the exact same bike and hers is slanted and mine is not. Is it because hers is a smaller size (48)?

[KnottedYet]

but, but, but. We have the exact same bike and hers is slanted and mine is not. Is it because hers is a smaller size (48)?

Yes.

To make her bike smaller (wheels closer to each other, and the top tube shorter) and still let a smaller rider stand over the top tube, the designers decided to lower the end of the top tube that would be under the rider's crotch.

If they had kept the top tube horizontal on the 48cm, it might have given a shorter-inseam rider looking for a smaller bike a nasty wedgie. All they really did is drop the end of the bar under the rider's crotch. (kinda like a mixte)

[uforgot]

I like the brown, but now slap on the black brooks so we can compare.